Is Alabama college football's new dynasty?

By Lateef Mungin, CNN

Updated 1543 GMT (2343 HKT) January 8, 2013

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Photos:Photos: BCS National Championship

BCS National Championship – Quarterback AJ McCarron of the Alabama Crimson Tide celebrates his team's win over the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on Monday, January 7. Alabama defeated Notre Dame 42-14 in the 2013 BCS National Championship game at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. View the best photos from the college football bowl games.

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Photos:Photos: BCS National Championship

BCS National Championship – Crimson Tide cheerleaders celebrate on the field after the game.

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Photos:Photos: BCS National Championship

BCS National Championship – Alabama head coach Nick Saban celebrates with the trophy after defeating Notre Dame. His team won its second consecutive BCS title and third in four seasons.

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Photos:Photos: BCS National Championship

BCS National Championship – Alabama's AJ McCarron acknowledges the crowd during the game on Monday.

BCS National Championship – Notre Dame quarterback Everett Golson looks on after failing to convert on third down against Alabama.

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Story highlights

Alabama wins its third BCS title in four years

The team joins two other teams in college football history to complete that feat

"This is, in my lifetime, the best dynasty that I've ever seen in college football," ESPN commentator says

Shortly after Alabama's rout of Notre Dame there was one word that many on the field seemed not to want to broach.

Dynasty.

But why not? Alabama's 42 to 14 thrashing of Notre Dame in Monday night's BCS National Championship game was the Crimson Tide's second in a row. It is also Alabama's third national title in the last four years.

Isn't this a dynasty, a reporter asked Alabama quarterback A.J. McCarron, moments after he led his team to the win?

"You can call us whatever you want but this was a total team effort," McCarron said.

"I really believe that this is, in my lifetime, the best dynasty that I've ever seen in college football," ESPN personality Kirk Herbstreit tweeted about Alabama.

Herbstreit's comment was retweeted thousands of times.

In fact, "#Dynasty" was trending in many regions in the United States early Tuesday morning as Crimson Tide fans partied in the streets of Tuscaloosa.

With the win, Alabama joins college football royalty. The team joins Nebraska, in the '90s, and Notre Dame, in the '40s, as the only teams to win three championships in four years. When Nebraska did it, they shared the 1997 championship with Michigan.

And to add to Alabama's legacy, none of the championship games were really close.

The No. 2 Crimson Tide scored on drives of 82, 61 and 80 yards against the top-ranked and undefeated Irish in its first three drives of the game. They drove 71-yards and scored with 31 seconds left in the half to take a dominating 28-0 lead.

By that time, despite the fact that half of the game was yet to be played, many of those commenting on Twitter were jokingly wondering if Notre Dame would come out of the locker room for the second half.

The Irish did, but it did not get much better for them.

In fact, one of the biggest hits of the game on Alabama's quarterback McCarron came from his own teammate, Barrett Jones.

The two teammates disagreed on a play call and had to call a timeout to get it cleared up. McCarron got in his lineman's face and Jones pushed him some three yards back, a feat that Notre Dame could never do throughout the game.